CD Reviews

2/6/2013

Tomahawk

‘Oddfellows’

Ipecac Recordings

With a pedigree that includes some of rock and metal’s most creative and avant garde bands, Tomahawk has always been a wildly inventive band. “Oddfellows” kicks that creativity up a notch with the introduction of new bassist Trevor Dunn, formerly of Mr. Bungle. Dunn’s familiarity with Tomahawk front man Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle) gives “Oddfellows” a cohesive, tight sound that the band’s previous efforts sometimes lacked, while still allowing the band to dip a creative toe in as many musical pools as possible. Dunn and Patton growl through “South Paw,” backed by ex-Helmet drummer John Stanier’s driving staccato, while “Rise Up Dirty Waters” is a jazzy track with shades of Alice in Chains tossed in for good measure. “Oddfellows” is daring, well-executed and an early entry into 2013’s “best of” conversation. CV

The Misfits

‘Dea.D. Alive!’

Misfits Records

Ever since the legal cat-fighting that divorced Danzig from the Misfits name, the band has eased further and further away from its iconic punk roots and into a metal sound. It’s not as disastrous a turn of events as Axl Rose touring with whichever lineup he can cobble together and calling it Guns-N-Roses, but it’s just never been the same. However, for what the band is now, “Dea.D. Alive!” captures the sound really well. Regardless of iteration, the Misfits have always been a band that’s better live, and the album conveys the unbridled fury of tracks like “Devil’s Rain” or “American Psycho” effectively. A cover of the “Science Fiction/Double Feature” from “Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a kitschy, little add-on at the end of the album that sort of captures the band’s ’80s heyday, but everything still feels a little empty without “Braineaters” or “Horror Hotel.” CV